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Tuesday, 31 May 2016

My name is Kitty, and when I was 27, I had Botox for the first time. I've had it every 3 months since. I've been getting piercings other than my ears since I was around 17, and got my first tattoo at 26. Lately I've been seeing a lot of hate from the body modification community towards those who have plastic surgery and less invasive kinds of fillers and Botox and the like and it's not cool.

Before Botox, this was my life. Hospital visits and a whole lot more medication than I'm sharing in that photo. I suffer from hemiplegic migraines and a form of chronic headaches. This means I am in pain 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Or at least, I was. Thanks to Botox I've been able to avoid hospital visits and ambulances for a little while now and it's incredible.

I took this selfie the first time I ended up on a stroke unit. Hemiplegic migraines essentially mimic strokes without the brain damage. Slurred speech, one sided numbness, confusion, aphasia, drooping face, all the fun stuff. It is absolutely terrifying.

I've tried dozens of different medications and treatments, and nothing worked until Botox. I have it every 3 months and it totally changed my life. I have 36 injections in my forehead, scalp and neck and let me tell you, Botox bloody hurts like hell. I cry every time. I've been tattooed for 6 hours in one sitting and there is just no comparison in the pain. I can't move my eyebrows anymore, and the slight wrinkle I had coming in my forehead has vanished.

And since I had Botox I realised something. There is a running theme within the tattoo/modified community of a prejudice towards those who have pursued a different type of body modification. I'm talking lip fillers, Botox, fake boobs, nose jobs and more. The tattoo community seems to consider it's type of body modification superior to these other types of modification because they are more associated with vanity than tattoos are. Because Botox hides aging, or fillers increase your pout, people believe their artwork covered bodies are different or better. I see so much hate from people who claim to be open minded towards those who have these other kinds of modification.

The body positive community is all about embracing who you are, and loving yourself, but that isn't always possible for some people. I felt like my body hated me before Botox, and now I can love it because it doesn't feel like it is rebelling against me. People get fake boobs because they've always been self conscious about their breasts, or because they are having reconstruction after breast cancer, or because they just love the look of huge fake boobs! You might love the exaggerated look of lip fillers, or have always wanted a split tongue, or a full back piece, it's body modification in a different form. And one isn't better than the other.

Tattoos aren't better than Botox, your nose piercing isn't cooler than a nose job. The body modification community has always claimed to be supportive and welcoming, but it is judging an entire group of people because their ways of modifying their body are different to their ideas of body modification. You aren't superior because you have tattoos and someone else has cheek fillers.

As someone who has always felt part of the alternative community, to see us judging other people's choices hurts, especially when I didn't have a choice about whether or not to have Botox. Seeing memes and jokes about frozen foreheads and about how awful people must be who have it, it hurts. Being judged by people who know nothing about you sucks. Why people have body modification is none of your business, and what kind of body modification is 'OK' is none of your business either.

I believe everyone deserves total body autonomy, and that includes their right to get their preferred body modification without judgement from others. I want to see less judgement from the alternative and body positive communities, we have to learn to embrace everyone's choices about their own bodies. Whether you like the look of their modification, or would never have it done to yourself, you have no right to judge. The reasons I have Botox are irrelevant, I shouldn't have to justify it to you so you don't judge me.

Sunday, 29 May 2016

Summer is finally here and cute BBQ looks are the way forward! I love a day outside and a cute dress is my favourite thing to wear. Vintage dresses are just perfect for summer and this pale pink number from Dolly and Dotty is ideal. While they list themselves as stocking sizes 6-24 some of their styles are available in a size 26 and they also stock accessories too.

I don't usually wear such pastel colours but I had a feeling this peachy colour with my washed out hair would really work together and I think they do! Dolly and Dotty sent me a matching peach belt, and also this bright teal colour which I opted to wear with it. I love the colour contrast. I'm 5ft 11 and it sits just above knee height on me so on most people would be longer. It's a nice light fabric so ideal in the heat. With a pale colour like this I'd recommend making sure your undergarments were also very pale or skin coloured just in case.

This dress is really cute, but as you can see from my bust area, you can definitely size down in it. It has a shirred elasticated back so while this dress goes up to a size 26, if you are bigger than a size 26 you could give it a go! My usual size was really roomy in the bust for me and I needed a size down at least. I'm not particularly blessed in the bust department but if you are you shouldn't have any problems with having room in this dress. The halterneck style straps are in a different place to where I usually expect them to be in a dress of this style but it still felt very secure once tied. Usually they are positioned a little wider but it worked. You could wear the bow on the waist belt on the front or the back, entirely up to you!

This particular style dress is available in a huge range of colours, 15 in total! So if you like it but don't like this pale colour, they have it in everything from brown, to grey, red, green, various shades of blue and more.

Dolly and Dotty have great plans for expanding their size ranges and are really enthusiastic about being able to sell their clothes to everyone, so if you don't currently fit in their range, keep an eye out, they have plans!

Thursday, 26 May 2016

Choosing your bridesmaid's outfits is such an important part of the day. I had certain ideas in mind that didn't work out at all, but we've ended up with gorgeous dresses that everyone seems happy with! I wanted to make sure everyone was comfortable, felt cute and loved their dresses. There are so many good high street options now, I wanted to share some of my favourites.

Chi Chi London are a great choice if you have bridesmaids who are both straight size and plus size as they stock a large amount of their dresses in a 6-24. They have really cute detailed dresses with a focus on midi styles.

A multiway is a brilliant option for having multiple bridesmaids wearing the same dress in different ways. You can tie up the top section in so many different ways, whilst also having everyone wear the same, Different but the same in an adorable way!

LovedRobe have a great range of bridesmaid style dresses on ASOS. I love the embellished style of this one and the little sleeves.

LovedRobe have a gorgeous range of dresses in sizes 14-32 at affordable prices. I couldn't resist sharing 3 peach toned dresses, you could have all your bridesmaid wear different dresses in the same colour!

Tuesday, 24 May 2016

I cannot resist matte liquid lipsticks and lip products. They are pretty much all I wear these days, so when I get to try out another cruetly free brand I leap at the chance! The lovely Leah of Just Me Leah very kindly sent me these to cheer me up a little while ago because she's a total sweetheart. Her blog is awesome, so you should totally go check it out. I couldn't resist holding off on photographing them and swatching them properly for my blog so it's taken me a little while to use them, but here are the MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquers and my thoughts on them.

The actual lip lacquers come in these little cardboard boxes. These are a little bashed about due to their travels and also me keeping them in them till I got chance to photograph them.

The back of each of the boxes tells you the colour contained within and a little about the product themselves. They claim to be smudge proof so I had to give them a proper test run.

The four colours Leah kindly sent me are left to right; Criminal, Funk, Atomic and Kooky.

The packaging is a frosted matte tube and they have a sticker on the bottom with their name too. I really like the matte effect of the tubes. The colour has separated a little in the tubes but each is really full of product.

I've swatched them in the same order I photographed them in above. Criminal is a really bright classic Barbie pink, Funk is a gorgeous rose toned shade, Atomic is a fab orangey red, and Kooky is a blackcurrant purple. The applicator is a soft doe's foot style which I personally prefer for liquid lipstick.

Here are close ups of Atomic and Kooky. The colours are all really opaque which impressed me, especially as purple tones tend to be trickier for brands to get right. Atomic is more orangey in person than in this photo.

Criminal and Funk again are both really opaque. All of their formulas are nice and creamy and dry in about a minute. All of these photos are just one coat of the product! I was really impressed with how soft they felt, a lot of liquid lipsticks feel like they are going to be drying but these don't. As for their claim to be smudge proof... they really are! I gave them a good press and rub on my arm and they didn't shift. You will need a good oil product for removal because they are so smudge proof!

In all, I am seriously loving these lip lacquers and at £3 a pop they are a complete bargain, I will definitely be trying more of their shades. They have a range of really bright shades, as well as more classic nudes and some funkier tones like lilac and black too.

Have you tried any MUA products before? What is your favourite? I'd never tried any of their products before and really want to try more now.

Sunday, 22 May 2016

When it comes to being cruelty free, I think skin care is the hardest. There are a lot of makeup companies out there making products, but actual skin care itself can be a real struggle! I'm creeping my way to 30 and probably need to start taking better care of my skin. I still get spot break outs every month, I have darker patches of skin in places and it's also really dry, a great combination.

Eloquence Beauty were kind enough to send me some of their range to try out and I couldn't wait. It's base is sacha inchi oil, which is seed grown in Peru. I love trying out different oils for my skin and was fascinated to try this one.

This is their full four step skin care routine. It comes in these cute lime green and white boxes with silver font, I love the bright colour! A lot of beauty products are kind of boring to look at, but these are really pretty.

And inside the actual products come in these fab green and silver packages. I love them! The silver makes them look really funky when combined with the green. Steps one, two and four come in this style of packaging.

The eye gel comes in a more traditional tube style packaging which works really well for applying it. I'd happily have these displayed on my bathroom shelf or in my bedroom.

I wanted to use it for at least a week before I reviewed it so I could truly let you guys know what I felt it did. The cleanser was a little tricky to get out of it's packaging to begin with. I kept pumping it and nothing was happening, I had to operate it upside down to get it to work properly. It had a pleasant tingle to it that really made your skin feel clean. You don't need much of any of the products to really get them to go a long way, but I do think I needed slightly more than the 'pearl' sized amount they recommended.

The firming product definitely made my skin feel firmer immediately, and not in an unpleasant way. I still felt like my skin had plenty of movement, it was just tauter.

The eye gel is my favourite of the four steps, I really felt like my eyes perked up immediately. I always struggle with puffiness and black bags and it's coolness helped right away. My eyes are incredibly sensitive and I had no problems with this at all. The application was really easy to use as well, you squeeze a little bit out onto the nib and apply it directly to the under eye using that nib. Super handy!

24 hour cream is a new product for me, I usually just use a straight up moisturiser because I have such dry skin. I'm not sure this would be strong enough for me to use as a replacement for a good moisturiser in the mornings, but my skin felt much fresher for using it at night.

The final product I had to try out was the one I was most intrigued by. This oil is designed to be used on hair, skin and nails, and I put it straight in my hair. I recently had my hair coloured for the first time in almost 3 years and after being bleached my hair needed some TLC. It only needs one or two drops to get really good coverage in your hair, I put it through my mid-lengths and ends and my hair is about bra strap length, so this will last a long while!

It comes in the same style packaging as the others so they make a cute collection together. I've also been using this on my nails and cuticles because they aren't in the best shape right now. My nails have been peeling slightly and needed some love, and I am terrible for not looking after my cuticles. My nails looked instantly better for using this, the slightly peeled bits lapped up the oil! They clearly needed all the essential oils contained inside.

I have seriously sensitive skin and allergies, and I didn't have any reactions to any of these products at all! That literally never happens to me. I can't even use makeup remover without my eyes swelling up, even when it is billed as for sensitive skin. I really liked the combination of these products and will be gutted when I run out of them. You can buy the whole set of these together for a reduced price of £75 here.

No artificial colours, scents, or parabens, and all cruelty free, I look fordward to seeing what Eloquence Beauty do next!

Much love,

Kitty xxx

*denotes items that were gifted to me for review purposes. In no way does this impact upon my opinions which are entirely my own.

Thursday, 19 May 2016

The Bank Holiday weekend brought along some surprisingly nice weather, and also my hen party! I was so excited, 3 of my 4 bridesmaids made it, and several people travelled a few hours to be with me for it which is just incredible. I was so touched! As my Mum made amazing DIY decor I had to share her hard work and how fun the day was.

We had afternoon tea at Healing Manor and were really well looked after. They let us decorate the room and made sure we had everything we needed. We went with a grey and pink theme and it all looked so beautiful. Every decoration was made by my Mum!

The flowers in the vases and on the tables are all made of tissue paper and my Mum worked really hard on them. She has become so crafty and I couldn't be more thankful!

Each table setting had a quiz my Mum made, and also a personalised badge for each guest made by Pink Biscuits. The badges were such a cute touch and everyone wore theirs for the whole day which really made me smile!

My Mum even made the bunting. The colour themed look so damn pretty! And as it turned out.... it matched my new hair!

Yep. After almost 3 years of no dying or colouring, I couldn't resist. I feel so much more like me! My bridesmaid and generally wonderful friend Alivya did my hair and makeup for me for the day which was a lovely surprise. She is also doing my hair and makeup for our wedding, you can book her via her website here.

My Mum made these fab little quiz packs for each guest and myself, it was hilarious hearing everyone's answers and what they thought Stu or I would have said. Each guest was also asked to write down a funny or embarrassing memories they have of me which were read out. Some made me cry with laughter, one or two had me shed a tear, it was wonderful and I've kept them all.

I was so shocked to receive a present! Our family friends Helen, Lauren, Vicky and Megan gave me this beautiful personalised compact mirror which really blew me away. It'll be in my handbag on the day!

Afternoon tea was totally amazing, and we came away with two huge boxes of left overs. I've never seen so much food! Everytime we thought they had finished bringing the food out more appeared. Fal and I kept expecting to be offered 'just a wafer thin mint'...

I got changed for the evening portion of my hen party into something a little more suitable, as we went to Yardbirds to see Anti-Nowhere League! I was hugely into punk as a teenager, so it was a really nostalgic evening. 39 people came to the day, and 11 of us went to Yardies, which I really appreciate as I know punk isn't for most people. I've blogged about this dress in more detail here!

Angie, Roswell, me and Fal

My Mum and Me

Me and Fal, and a sneaky Becky in the background.

I had the most wonderful day, and I am so grateful that so many people came out for me and shared in my day. I felt so loved and to be around so many of my friends and family together warmed my heart. Huge thanks to my Mum for all the DIY she did, and also to Fal for helping with the quizzes, and to Alivya for my hair and makeup, and to Fal, Alivya and Roswell for helping decorate the room!

Tuesday, 17 May 2016

On the 1st of May we rather bravely had our first BBQ of 2016! It wasn't the warmest day, and it rained somewhat, but dammit, we are British, it was a Bank Holiday, and we wanted a BBQ! I didn't really dress for the weather and ended up wrapped in blankets, but I still took a couple of outfit photos so I could share a more summery look with you.

Dress - New Look via ASOS

Belt - ASOS

Sandals - Yours Clothing

Faux leather jacket - Matalan

Leggings - ASOS

Sunglasses - Ebay

I know, I wear my faux leather jackets with everything, but I adore them! I had this dress saved in my ASOS saved items section for the longest time but kept umming and aahing over ordering. New Look stuff can be on the short side on me but I thought it looked like it would be cute for our honeymoon. I was sold on it when I went in my local shop and the till assistant was wearing it and is a similar height to me and it looked fab on her. I hopped on ASOS and it was reduced in the sale. It was meant to be! I thought a tan belt would be really cute and summery with it and I finally added one to my collection.

Normally I edit photos of my feet, I have patches of eczema, and scarring from it, but I've decided not to edit it out, it's part of me and I should be less ashamed of it. These are faux leather, and Ashen seemed to approve by insisting his feets were also in this selfie. The rope style front section is really cute.

And in case you hadn't seen it on my social media... my hair is pink now! I couldn't resist dying it before the wedding. It had been almost 3 years since I last dyed or coloured it.

Thank you so so much to everyone who entered and has read my blog over the last two years. It's been an amazing journey and it means a lot to have you along with me! A special thank you to Melly, Celia Rose, MoG and Rachel for donating beautiful prizes to the giveaway.